Antislip decking



l 1953 e. w. CAUSEY 2,651,978

ANTISLIP DECKING Filed Nov. 24, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 15, 1953 G.w. CAUSEY 2,651,973

ANTISLIP DECKING Filed Nov. 24, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 15,1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

The principal object of the present invention is the provision of a newand improved surface which will prevent the slipping of workmen or theshifting of freight, cargo or material.

For instance, at airfields the airplanes upon landing are subjected tocareful examination, movable scafi'olds being run beneath the wings andaround the plane so that a careful inspection may be made. The menmoving about on the top decks of such scaffolds are liable to fall tothe ground unless some antislip provision is made. For this purpose myinvention provides a portable and removable decking, comprising units ofsuitable size and weight which are easily handled for installation andremoval, and which may be stored in compact form when not in use.

Again, in loading heavy cargo in the holds or on the decks of ships,such cargo, as machinery, must be secured against shifting in roughweather, and the methods of lashing in common use frequently fail. Myinvention provides adequate prevention against cargo shifting.

My invention also may be used for preventing the shifting of heavyfreight in transportation by railway and by truck.

My improved antislip deck is composed of a plurality of longitudinal andtransverse metal bars, preferably disposed at right angles to each otherand interengaged at their intersections by coacting slots, the jointsbeing welded and the upper surfaces of the bars being provided with anew and improved character of sharp engaging portions, which provide aneflicient antislip fioor surface for the feet of the workmen and alsofor the bottom surface of the cargo or load.

The intersecting longitudinal and transverse bars are of proper lengthto be provided with a perimetral frame to which the ends of the bars arewelded, thus forming a unit of suitable size and weight to beconveniently handled for installation, removal and storage.

Other novel and important features and arrangement of parts will appearin the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein is illustrated the practicalembodiment of the principles of my invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one of the intersecting bars, forinstance, a longitudinal bar;

Fig. 2 is a like view of one of the other or transverse bars;

Figs. 3 and 4 are like views, showing a modified form of thelongitudinal bars and of the transverse bars, respectively;

Fig. 5 is a broken perspective showing the longitudinal bars and thetransverse bars permanently assembled;

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail showing the assembled relation of thelongitudinal bars, the transverse bars and a portion of the perimetralframe of the unit;

Fig. '7 is a broken top plan view of the assembled section, and

Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of the same.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the bar 10 is formed of a flat piece of baror strip-steel or other metal and has a straight bottom edge, the gaugeof the material being selected in accordance with the burden to besupported by the deck. Thus in some instances, where heavy cargo orfreight is to be carried, a quarter-inch gauge might be selected, whilefor a deck to be used for supporting workmen an eighth-inch gauge orless would be sufficient.

The bars are cut to the proper length. I prefer to produce my antislipdeck in units of such dimensions and weight as to be convenientlyhandled and stored. Thus the units may be eight feet long and one footwide.

Assuming the bar In to be one of the longitudinal bars, its length issuch as to fit between the end members of a perimetral frame hereinafterdescribed.

The top edge of the bar is provided at regular intervals with upwardextensions H which are cut out at their centers to form upwardly openarcuate recesses 12 which are preferably slightly greater thansemicircular. The top edges i3 of the extensions H are inclineddownwardly away from the recesses E2 to form with the edges of thelatter the teeth I l. At their outer ends the edges l3 meet with theupper ends of the descending edges 15 which extend downwardly at anincline toward the recess l2 and meet the horizontal edge 16 of the bar,thus providing the teeth H at the outer ends of the edges 13. The edgesE5 of the bar are in the same horizontal plane as the bottom of therecesses l2.

Iii indicates vertical slots cut in the bar from above, one beingcentered intermediate of each pair of adjacent extensions l I. Likeslots I!) are cut in the bar from beneath, one of said slots beingcentered under each of the recesses l2. The slots l8 extend down halfWay through the reduced height of the bar between the upward extensionsll and the slots [9 are out upwardly to the same extent from below.

The slots 18 and I9 are of proper Width to receive the transverse barsof the same gauge as the bars I0.

3 In Fig. 2 I illustrate at 20 the type of bar to be assembled with thebars in angular relation thereto. The bars 20, hereinafter referred toas the transverse bars, are likewise provided with equally spaced upwardextensions I of equal elevation, and having cut out recesses 12, teethI4, inclined edges l3, teeth l1, downwardly extending inclined edges andhorizontal edges I5. However in the case of the transverse bars 20, theupwardly extending slots, shown at 2! are centered between the upwardextensions l I while the downwardly extending slots 22 are formed at thebottom of the recesses l 2.

Thus, as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, the. slots.-

2! of the bars 28 are fitted downwardly over the slots is of the barsl0, while the slots- Idofthe bars H] are fitted downwardly over the.-slots. 22 of the bars 20, thus forming the grids shown in the drawings.After the bars are thus assembled; th teeth it are disposed in groups offour directedtoward a common center the vertical axis of the twoassociated recesses l2" of. the inter,- sccting bars, while the teeth H.are. also: disposed ingroups of four which face outwardly from thecommon center. The bars, are then welded at their intersections alongthe edges of the engaged slots;

In Figs. 3 and 4 I illustrate the modified: arrangement of the-slotsinthe'longitudinal bars, indicated at 23, Fig. 3', and'inthe transversebars indicated at 26, Fig. 4; In the case of the longitudinal-bars 23',the slots 25 arecut in the bottom of therecesses l2 and the slots 26 arecut from above and centered between said recesses, while in" the case-ofthe transverse bars 2% the correspending slots 2'!- center verticallywith the recesses l2 andthe slots 28 centered between the slots 27 arecut upwardly in the bar 24. In assembling the unit the longitudinal bars23 are first laid out in parallel spaced relation and the transversebars are laid down thereon in, the proper angular relation to thelongitudinal bars and; then moved downwardly until the slots in:terengage and the bars are welded together at their intersection.

As shown in Figs. 5, 6, '7 and 8; a perimetral frame 29 is provided forthe unit, the samebeing formed of angle bar stock having-its horizontalflange 3E! lowermost and extending inwardly and engaging undercutnotches 3! in the ends-0f the grid bars, the ends of which are welded tothe perimetral frame. The lower surface of the perimetral frame 29 is inthe same plane as the bottom edges of the longitudinal and transversebars, thus maintaining a flat under surface for the unit, so that all ofthe bars and the perimetral frame bear on the floor, deck orundersupporting surface. The horizontal flange 30. of the frame bars 29may be provided with spike or bolt. holes 32 by means of which the unitsmay be teme porarily or permanently fixed to the load supportingsurface. The top edges of the frame bars extend upwardly to. the levelof. the, extensions.

The antislip deck sections. are madeof. proper. dimensions and of properweight for ease ininstalling, removal and storage. Thus a convenientsize has been found tobe eight feet long and one foot wide.

When in use as in the hulls of. vessels. or in '4 freight cars ortrucks, the sections are laid side by side to cover the entire floor ordeck extending from wall to wall or between suitable braces to preventlateral and longitudinal movement of the units.

My improved antislip deck provides the teeth l4 symmetrically arrangedin groups of four with their apexes in spaced relation and directedinwardly. Again the teeth I! are also arranged symmetrically in. groups.of'four but with their apexes directed outwardly. It is thus evidentthat the workmans shoe or the bottom of a piece of cargo or freightwould upon the application: of. a shifting force at any horizontal anglebe engaged inevitably by teeth and thus prevented from movement. Alsothe raised top edge ofthe perimetral frame prevents slipping of theworkmen or cargo off the unit.

Where the antislip units are designed merely as a surface upon which theworkmen stand and walk, the rectangular openings between intersectingbars" may be; approximately one and onehalf. inches square, as asubstantially greater spacing between the groups of teeth would renderWalking less comfortable. Again Where heavy machinery or other large andheavy elements of cargo or freight are to be mounted on units embodyingmy invention, the spacing between the groups of teeth may be of greaterdimensions.

The outward anddownward slant of the edges l3 provide acute anglesforming the teeth IT and in case of slippage the shoe of the workman orthe edge of freight or cargo will be directed into contact with thetooth I! of the adjacent extension H.

I claim:

1. A grid comprising two sets of spaced parallel bars, a series ofspaced projections on the upper edge of each bar, interlocking slotsineach space between said projections on one edge of one set of parallelbars, interengaging slots in corresponding positions on the oppositeedgeof the other set ofparallel bars, both sets. of spaced parallel barsinterlocked in intersecting crossed relation by the corresponding slotswith the tops of the spaced projections forming a deck and with theirends grouped around the intersections, the ends of said projectionsbeing undercut to provide-sharp corners adjacent said intersections.

2. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that alternate of saidspaces are arcuate and thetop surfaces of the projections slope upwardlytoward said adjacent arcuate spaces.

3. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that the interlocking slotson one set of parallel bars are on the upper edge, and the interengagingslots on theother set of parallel bars are on the lower edge.

GEORGE. W. CAUSEY.

References Cited in. the file. of this patent UNITED. STATES PATENTSNumber Name Date 1,180,953 Steckenreiter Apr. 25, 1916 1,570,384 McClureJan. 19, 1926 2,317,174 Bunker Apr. 20, 1943 2,384,303 I-Ieath Sept. 4,1945 2,509,732 Ernestus May 30, 1950

